@@@ AICN COMICS @@@ @ 8th ANNUAL @$$IE AWARDS! @

Welcome, all, to the 8th Annual AICN COMICS @$$IE AWARDS, where comics’ best and brightest are recognized for stellar (and sometimes not so stellar) performances in comic bookdom. I’m Ambush Bug. There was a time when we could fit all of the @$$ies into one lengthy column, but the @$$Holes’ ranks have grown too big for that, so for the next week or so, the @$$Holes will be presenting their picks for the best of the best in comics. Most awards are given around the turn of the year, but we think ours is special, so while those outside of the know celebrate the time of the Oscar, we here at AICN COMICS celebrate the time of the coveted @$$ie Award. So sit back, crack the knuckles in your browsing hand, and scroll down as the @$$Holes pick the @$$ies!

“What’s 4’6”, wears a cowboy hat and will never be able to watch a 3-D movie?” Granted, I’m not the most tasteful with my spoiler reveals, but I prefer accuracy and the allude versus good taste. I really thought Carl would remain unscathed in this post-apocalyptic thriller and that one day we would be reading Carl’s story. Sure, I always expected bits of Carl’s soul to be lost--just not bits of his body.

It's rare any one moment can completely turn a series on its head. With the slow burning conflict between The Boys and The Seven reaching its peak, any one action could tip the scales and cause all out war. And nothing does that better than mercilessly killing one of the enemies’ number. Garth Ennis has, with a single page, shifted the tide of the series while remaining true to it. Everything that happens from this point out can be traced back to this moment.

I have to give my favorite moment of the year to the size of balls IDW had to actually kill Cobra Commander at the beginning of this year. It was a hell of a climax to probably the best written GI JOE story ever put to comics in Mike Costa’s GI JOE: COBRA series. The twelfth issue ended with a bang, and the reverb carried on into all of the Joe books for the rest of the year. This issue led into the final 13th issue of the series and also saw the death of fan fave Chuckles and one of the Crimson Twins, Xamot. But the moment when Chuckles puts a bullet through the brain of the big bad was one of the most perfectly satisfying reads of the year.

This whole series is chock full of great things: the writing, the art (Risso is the man!) but issue 3 really takes off and gives us an awesome take on what could have happened to Thomas & Martha Wayne if Bruce were the one to die. This issue is heavy as hell with emotion, depth and suspense (what happens to Martha is heartbreaking as hell) but written so well I almost feel bad for liking it so much. Azzarello & Risso took the BATMAN mythos, flipped it on its head, took its lunch money, gave it a swirly, then put it under their wing and nurtured it into a beast of a story.

Some of my favorite series right now haven’t come to completion, so it would be hard for me to pick “Best Single Issue” without knowing how an issue tied into the overall story. But ELDRITCH #2 did feature my favorite “single moment.” When both Owen and Anya Sobczek’s phones go off playing “Magic Dance” from the film LABYRINTH during a cult meeting, I knew that the comic series was improving. Even the reason for that being their ringtones (it’s their Mom’s favorite film, so it is specific to her calling) makes the moment even better.

The single best moment in comics in 2011 was Barry Allen giving Bruce Wayne his dad’s letter from the alternate timeline of FLASHPOINT, a truly heartfelt moment that made the whole monster of a crossover worth reading.

When a major character like Johnny boy “dies”, immediately the inner fanboy clock kicks in to their return. Call it jadedness or call it predictability, but we all know by now that only Uncle Ben doesn’t come back. But, as far as resurrections go, the Torch’s rise from death was hands down the best thing about this milestone issue. The first great foot forward was his all-or-nothing go out before meeting his demise, which was in question in the first place given the circumstances around it when it occurred. Then the notion that he met it time after time as some part of sick machinations on the part of Annihilus and eventually became “Negative Zone Spartacus” to spite him was just beautiful. A great highlight in what is already an exceptional run by Jonathan Hickman on this title.

Stemming out of my choice for Best Miniseries, for me there was nothing more enjoyable than the reveal of the Joker’s identity in BATMAN: KNIGHTS OF VENGEANCE #2. This was arguably my favorite comic book moment of the year and one of the many high points in Brian Azzarello’s masterpiece of a FLASHPOINT tie in book. The reveal was so surprising and well done that any true Batman fan could not have asked for more.

This certainly wasn’t the best issue of the year, but it does contain my favorite moment. Hal Jordan has always been pretty full of himself, and to have Geoff Johns, the guy who brought him back as Green Lantern, reveal him in all his egotistical glory is just fantastic. Using Wonder Woman’s Lasso Of Truth, no less.

Now, before anyone castigates me for my selection, allow me to elaborate. With this single issue, it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rob Liefeld is a lazy hack with little ability, an “artist” who has shown NO growth in his chosen craft over the past decade-and-a-half (in fact, it might be argued that he’s actually regressed). So if anyone seeks to argue the pro-Liefeld stance, I only need to point to this single issue for definitive repudiation. In addition, the fact that DC chose to hire Liefeld for this title—one of the oh-so-hyped New 52—demonstrates that the publisher isn’t thinking about putting out quality comics, only concerned with generating sales dollars through whatever means necessary… even people like me buying this comic because of the “stopping to look at a car crash” mentality. And if you want further proof of DC’s terrible attitude towards its own quality, just remember that the same Rob Liefeld whose HAWK & DOVE series just got cancelled has been tapped by the Powers That Be at DC to helm THREE comics. Thanks for the help in the debate, HAWK & DOVE #1.

Granted, some of the character’s appeal is the still-unrevealed mystery of exactly how Dodge became possessed by the demonic entity that guides him, but Caravaggio’s blend of viciousness, deviousness and obsession makes him a villain you love to hate. As if LOCKE & KEY readers needed even more reasons to root against him, Caravaggio currently is possessing the body of the six-year-old Bode Locke and using the boy’s bond with his brother and sister to get the sought-after Omega Key, and going so far to hide his true identity by murdering another six-year-old. And yet, it’s been revealed that there’s still a tiny portion of the human Lucas Caravaggio buried beneath the demon’s control, adding just a touch of the tragic to his monstrous evil.

The Penguin has often been a one note joke with few exceptions; he’s a dude that looks like a penguin and perpetrates avian-based evil. He’s always been my least favorite member of the Batman villain’s stable for this reason. This series, though, is setting a new tone for the Tuxedoed Terror. Sure, he still has some of his Silver Age silliness, but there’s now an underlying evil behind it--an evil not based in just murder and mayhem, but the truest evil of all: torturing the human soul. When someone treats him poorly in public he doesn’t just kill them, he kills everyone they love and recounts the atrocity in vivid detail. This is also a much smarter Penguin, manipulating the legal system with more deftness than the OJ defense counsel. The New 52 promised change, the greatest of which is being lost in this wonderful mini-series.

Punisher MAX has been one of the most enjoyable series of the past year, and it can be easily traced back to its villains. Jason Aaron has turned a non existent rogues gallery (because, you know, it's the Punisher) into one of the most interesting galleries in comics, and Bullseye is by far the greatest of them. Taking a gleeful Daredevil rogue and turning him into one of the creepiest villains in a series built on the corpses of child molesters, Aaron has constructed one of the most thrilling main titles.

Seeing Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter, terrorize the Avengers in the forgettable FEAR ITSELF “event” at the same time Greg Pak’s ferocious and horrifying RED SKULL: INCARNATE came out only solidified how less so a villain the daughter of the Skull is compared to her father. Pak doesn’t even have to have the Skull don his evil mask/scarred face for him to resonate as one of the most evil villains in comics. Sure, hating Nazis is easy, but making a character more evil than Nazis is a true achievement. Historically finely detailed, INCARNATE shows the rise to power of quite possibly the most evil man in Marvel history. Here’s hoping Schmidt returns and reclaims his dastardly role soon.

Can anyone think of a villain (not someone that is or was a hero) from MARVEL or DC that has done anything significant in this past year…{crickets}…yeah, me neither. Harold is the lead character in this series and we are privy to his every waking, devious, perverted, murderous thought--and the shit is twisted! Harold finds a group of survivors who he manipulates into trusting him only so he can thin their numbers (in a multitude of beyond fucked ways) and exact revenge on a particular group of the CROSSED. This man is so far off his rocker that there’s no coming back and I double dog dare anyone to find a character in the past year more villainous than this guy.

My favorite villain is also featured in my “Best Single Moment.” Chaston, the leader of the cult and Owen’s childhood friend, is an over-the-top, maniacal, Lovecraftian wanna-be, yet at the same time he is snarky and witty. Behind his grandiose ravings of demonic gods and maleficent beings, he might just be crazy enough to bring such creatures to life.

In his very own one-shot entitled CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BATROC we learn more about the man behind the goggles: his motivations, his ethics, even a little about his insecurities as a powerless but highly-competent mercenary who must constantly battle enemies who greatly outclass him. It’s a potent character study that illuminates a b-villain who I already appreciated, and now I adore.

He's a shadowy figure with a personal connection to one of our heroes. He controls vast forces. He's genre savvy to a dangerous degree. And the best part is he's not overexposed and overused, like Norman Fucking Osborn.

More a literal Force of Nature than just your run of the mill “villain”, either way The Rot has been one of the most vile beings inhabiting my favorite comics this past (half) year. Both versions we have been seeing of this being have been terrifying, from the physical version that just recently, disgustingly went after Buddy Baker and his family in ANIMAL MAN, to the part of The Rot manifesting itself through William Arcane as he eerily crept cross-country with his oxygen tank after Alec Holland and his sister in SWAMP THING. The Rot is menacing, determined, unrelenting--everything you want in a proper villain. I’m actually looking very much forward to a crossover for once as the fight continues between those two titles.

He may have become the sickest and most twisted villain in comics today. In KICK ASS 2, Mark Millar transforms the character from a wannabe thug who was following in his dead mafia kingpin father’s footsteps into a villain so horrible that I dare say some of his actions would make the Joker cringe. In a world of comics today where most villains have become watered down anti-heroes who you want to cheer for, RED MIST is just vile and actually makes you yearn to see him get what’s coming to him.

Just like Simon and Kirby knew there could be no greater villain for Captain America to go after on the cover to CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 than Adolf Hitler, so too did Erik Larsen realize that terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden made the perfect supervillain. However, the Navy SEALS had just put a bullet through his head and given him a burial at sea (the actual sea, there wasn’t a toilet big enough to flush him), so some atomic radiation courtesy of Japan’s recent nuclear disaster was required, transforming him into Osama Bin Ladzilla. Hilarious.

The naysayers were legion. I had my own serious doubts. But they proved us all wrong. DC has been able to turn out (mostly) quality books on a monthly basis, and most importantly boost their sales across the line to levels we haven’t seen in years. They caught everyone flatfooted, including Marvel, who are now scrambling to catch up. How long it will continue is anyone’s guess, but I’ve seen enough to call it a major success.

You know… I can’t remember the last time I bought a comic with a crossover banner on the front cover that made me say “All right! I can’t wait to find out how this comic relates to blah blah blah…” More often it’s along the lines of “Oh no, not another stupid event book!” So my choice for the Best Crossover/Event is No Crossover/No Event. Thank you.

Optimous Douche – FLASHPOINT DC Comics It was a year for lots of crossovers as everyone tried to trump the impending or already happened DC relaunch. While I gave Marvel some props for the beginning of SCHISM, the event was heavily rushed and left us with a very anti-climatic end. FLASHPOINT, though, did what a story should – build momentum instead of lose it. Also, FLASHPOINT offered an epic approach to imbibing the series in totality with all of the 3-part or one-shot side stories, but never made those sides required reading to understand the main book. Yes, the end here was also a bit lackluster in how they achieved a new timeline, but the moment where Bruce Wayne read the letter from his alternate reality father was heart-wrenching and pitch perfect in introducing Bruce Wayne back into continuity. THAT’S how you do a cross over – big bloat for the big fanboys, but concise enough for those that wanted to play just the tip.

I've seen various other comic blogs talking about it, and I think it was best summed up by Chris Sims from Comics Alliance: that initial threat, that first hook to the story, is over and done with, which allows the story to turn in a new direction, adding twist after twist to the plot to build it into something bigger as it goes on, and it's accomplished very well. That's what's so engaging about it. It's brilliantly paced and always well written, making each turn seem natural. And that's incredibly impressive, given just how convoluted and self-serving this story could have been. It's maybe one of the best Spider-Man events of all time, and Slott and Ramos deserve every accolade for it.

Russ Sheath - Cobra Civil War (GI JOE, COBRA, SNAKE-EYES)IDW Publishing A compelling twist as Cobra's top brass battle for the title to be Cobra Commander.

Gotta agree with Russ here. IDW’s handling of their GI JOE Franchise has been fantastic. Each of their three series (GI JOE, COBRA, and SNAKE-EYES) revolve around the same arc involving the assignment of a new Cobra Commander, since the last one had his brains rearranged by a bullet from our favorite GI JOE undercover agent Chuckles. Leaderless, the menacing forces of COBRA hold a contest to see who the new Commander will be. Though this was a year-long arc (and occasionally moved a bit slowly), I found each step towards the appointment of the new Cobra Commander to be fascinating. I also loved it that IDW kept this a tight crossover, never over-padding it with special miniseries, one-shots, or any other tertiary bullshit. Having to endure their bloated crossovers all year long for too many years, I feel Marvel and DC could really learn a few things from the way IDW is handling this crossover.

Forget FLASHPOINT, forget FEAR ITSELF--THIS was a fucking event! Not only were the fights awesome (there were a lot of them) but this event put X-FORCE as THE team (aside from the FANTASTIC FOUR) that is dealing with some of the biggest threats to the Marvel Universe. The best part about this event was that the threat level was always kept high, which allowed the tension to remain throughout the story. This series had great art and a really great story that actually (for reals this time) will have ramifications for the X-MEN for a long time.

There’s just something perversely fascinating about Barry Allen, a hero who was once dead himself, discovering an alternate dimension where his mom is now alive. This beast shook the DC Universe so hard it resulted in a new publishing line-up, not to mention quite a few surprisingly good tie-ins, including BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE.

Let me get this straight: there is no “best” crossover as far as I’m concerned. I am fully, fully in the realm of being tired of these things, especially annually or now it’s becoming bi-annually. But FLASHPOINT gave us two things: The New 52, which I am going to defend for no other reason than it gave me two of my favorite books at the moment (ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING) and it gave us the three-issue BATMAN jaunt by Azzarello and Risso. Those things are of such quality that it actually kind of justifies the throwaway FLASHPOINT itself mostly was.

Now this probably should have went under the Miniseries category, but honestly, I think X-MEN: SCHISM was a far “event” than either Marvel or DC’s major events (FEAR ITSELF & FLASHPOINT, respectively). This story was action-packed and actually had repercussions that flowed nicely into future titles. For a while I had all but given up on X-Men books, but SCHISM really delivered a story I was happy to have invested my time in.

Yeah, yeah, I know, no one agrees with me. Well guess what, I don’t care. I love me some GREEN LANTERN and I love their work on it so (subjectively) for me, they’re the best. If you need me, I’ll be alone in my corner.

Cliff is just killing it on WONDER WOMAN in every outing. Clean lines, wonderful composition, crystal clear storytelling. Just plain beautiful to look at. Some people have griped that DC is scheduling fill-ins (by Tony Akins, a talented artist in his own right) periodically, but given the choice between having some Cliff or no Cliff, I’m more than willing to accept this deal.

The expressive faces combined with a precise, almost architectural draftsmanship of settings and backgrounds. The muted, subtle tonal shifts of color that inform both the setting and mood of every page. The combination of Rodriguez’s beautiful pen and ink work with Fotos’ sophisticated palette creates a look to LOCKE & KEY that works perfectly with the nature of the series. My only gripe with the artwork is that there was far too little of it this past year—let’s hurry up and finish the story already!

While not the most versatile artist (not a slight), Frazer Irving does two things right: he remains true to his very unique nightmarish style and he takes projects where that style fits like a ghoulish glove.

It's so rare that you see such a well animated comic. And that may sound counter intuitive for a comic book, but when one reads GLADSTONE'S, that's what it feels like. Every panel flows beautifully. It has the appeal and energy of a Pixar film, bright and vibrant, but a great use of framing and negative space. It's utterly, utterly fantastic.

Every year I try to pick one artist that consistently takes my breath away every time I see an issue. Menton3 is this year’s artist that did that for me. Part painting, part computer design, and all genuine artistry, Menton3 makes the dark worlds he creates amazing to dive into. His work on MONOCYTE alone is enough to make me seek out anything the artist decides to do from here on out. In the past, I’ve recognized artists like Ben Templesmith, Frazer Irving, Janet Lee, and others in this category and have been an avid follower of their work ever since. Menton3 is another artist that I’ll be looking out for for years to come.

Ugh…this category is so hard for me…but there’s one artist who I am continuously impressed with and amazed by their work, and J.H. Williams III is that person. BATWOMAN may well have the best art on the stands, and that means a lot coming from an art snob like Ol’ Kletus. The panel layouts, the design, the detail and innovation that go into each page are nothing less than astounding. I spend a lot of time on his pages admiring the art as well as finding things I missed the first time. J.H. Williams III is the shit and a bottle of hair grease!

Going back to how I thought FUBAR had both my “best comic book team” and “best cover,” it should be clear why I also thing they had the “best art team.” Just to name a few, Jeff McComsey’s work on “Semper Fi”, along with Rafer Roberts’ “Second Wind,” and Aluisio Cervelle Santos for “Fukushuu,” all had memorable and distinct styles of their own.

These guys killed it on every issue of Vertigo’s DAYTRIPPER, but for me their real shining moments came with their work on CASANOVA with Matt Fraction. They have a style that is easy on the eyes yet contains an incredible capacity for dynamic action and mindbending visuals. Even when an air of danger constantly lingers, every book they illustrate is breezy and beautiful,

I honestly don’t think I’ve seen an artist evolve like I have Jerome Opena. My first exposure to his stuff was on FEAR AGENT, where I thought it was overall pretty functional, but a bit rough. Then he starts a Marvel stint with I believe some PUNISHER and MOON KNIGHT material that became much tighter and more detailed and really started to stand out. Now with his UNCANNY X-FORCE body of work, my god, that is some gorgeous material. Everything is just so packed with detail, with expression, with a great sense of motion and dynamic. I don’t even buy the book but would pick it up any time his name was on the cover to ogle the pages they were just so drawing with their vibrancy, which is where Dean White’s color work comes in as it added that extra layer of pop. The only downside to it was that we only got this treat for about half the year, which I admittedly usually bump artists off this category for, but this material was just so outstanding I figured an exception was in order.

Now it’s time for the Talkbackers to pick their own @$$ies! Look for more @$$ie Awards Picks all week from the @$$holes at AICN COMICS!

I'll give THE BOYS another volume or two. But the whole reason I started exclusively buying trades in the first place was because I don't like following continuity, or stories that go on forever. Stories should be planned fully before the telling starts. That's one of my personal rules.

Right on fellas! We could all learn from the example you have set.
That said, I'm not against a crossover if it fits organically into a story between several titles, but the EVENT comics have got to go. They almost always feel forced, none of the results of said crises are ever permanent, and they create awful media saturation.

Why not pick another title that affected the reader so deeply they would consider it an event? Or would that not fit into the category?
For example, Kletus Cassaday picked an arc of an ongoing title (Dark Angel Saga in Uncanny X-Force). Not necessarily an event comic or a crossover, but he still gave credit to a really good comic.
Still, you've made your point I guess.